44 N.S. ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



be swarming with small yellowish or green sucking insects, which in ap- 

 pearance resembled long-legged plant lice. These insects moved with ex- 

 traordinary rapidity and had a wonderful ability to hide. They later 

 developed wings and became a delicate brownish insect about one quarter 

 of an inch long. This insect resembles closely an insect known as a pear 

 pest in New York state under the name of False Tarnished Plant Bug 

 (Lygus invitus) of which species it forms a variety. Lately it has gained 

 an unenviable reputation in Nova Scotia as the "Green Bug" or the 

 "Green Apple Bug." 



The pest is well distributed through the main fruit producing centres 

 of Hants, Kings, Annapolis and Digby counties, but, though the adult is 

 a fairly strong flier, it does not seem to spread very fast. It is certainly 

 one of the most serious pests in the Annapolis Valley, in fact, where it 

 once becomes established there is no pest to compare with it, either in 

 amount of damage done or in the difficulty of controlling it. That such 

 a pest should have gone so long unnoticed is rather surprising and can 

 only be attributed to the very elusive habits of the insect. 



Food Plants. As far as we have determined, the insect breeds only 

 on the apple and pear. It has been found feeding on plums in the adult 

 stage, but has not been known to lay its eggs in that plant. When shaken 

 from the tree, the young insects have been observed to feed on various 

 plants growing on the ground, but when it reached the winged state it 

 always seeks the apple and pear tree to feed and deposit its eggs. 



Life History. The eggs, which are laid beneath the bark of the twigs, 

 begin to hatch a few days before the blossoms open. The height of the 

 emergence coincides with the opening of the blossoms and practically all 

 are out by the time the last blossoms fall. From 31 to 34 days elapse 

 from the time the insect hatches until it gets its wings. Soon after hatch- 

 ing the eggs are laid, after which the adult insects begin to die off, few re- 

 maining after a month has passed. 



Habits of Young Insects. The young bugs are very active and 

 when disturbed run rapidly, hiding in the axils of the leaves or any place 

 that affords concealment. When suddenly disturbed they frequently 

 drop, but generally alight on another branch before reaching the ground. 

 When forced to drop by heavy rains, winds, sprays, etc., they may re- 

 ascend the tree or they may feed on the herbage at its base until their 

 wings are obtained, when they will fly up into the trees again. 



Experiments have shown that insects that fall to the ground are 

 capable of feeding and completing their transformations on timothy, 

 red clover, couch grass, dandelion and a great variety of other plants. 



In feeding, the young insects prefer the young leaves of apple and 



